Once again Ruth organised an amazing visit. This time a guided visit to the Victorian Garden Cemetery at Arnos Vale, a leafy setting rich in architecture where they hold events, including weddings.
There were lots of interesting things to see but one of the most exciting graves very close to the entrance, in the Ceremonial Walk, we found the grave of a Bristol Soroptimist, Carmen Beckford MBE (1928-2016), opposite Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s monument. As a young Jamaican woman, Carmen travelled to the UK and trained here to become a nurse and then became a midwife. She was known as the Carnival Queen after helping to set up St Paul’s Carnival in 1967. She was a social activist, became the first Race Relations Officer in Bristol and was the first black recipient of an MBE in the South West.
Our guide was Alan, a very knowledgeable person, and a member of the Friends of Arnos Vale, who spoke with great enthusiasm and love for Arnos Vale. Many thanks to him for making this a most interesting visit. There was lots more to see and so we plan on a return visit. Thank you to Pauline and Ruth for arranging our visit.